Organ Grinder, Loughborough

Deservedly award-winning Blue Monkey pub with a very traditional, if opened out, L-shaped alehouse interior. That aside, most people are here for the beer, and there was a wide choice from eight of the nine handpumps. Apart from the NBC Phipps and Abbeydale guests, the brewery's own beers covered a wide range of styles, including my Mild Monkey (£8.40 with a cheese, ham and pickle cob).

Official site of Organ Grinder - bluemonkeybrewery.com

Official site of Organ Grinder - bluemonkeybrewery.com

This is a smart looking bar, operated by the popular Blue Monkey Brewery from just up the M1 in Giltbrook. Much like their Nottingham branch, the beer is the star here, and the two-room interior, whilst tidy enough, lacks a little in character. The main bar area is a bare boarded room, set across two sides, with the servery squeezed into the rear right corner and plenty of seating opposite and over in the cosy left-hand part of the room. Banquettes run down the right-hand wall with lots of low stools in support, whilst the left side is furnished in more of a lounge style, with sofas, armchairs and the like. Walls are either bare brick or else painted in plain shades, with bookcases housing a good selection of board games, helpful beer boards and eclectic décor filling up much of the wall space. The bar has a wood panel counter front and bold mirrored bar back with pump clips along the top. A corridor connects this room to the rear Stable Bar, and has a pleasant, tiled floor. The Stable Bar doesn’t actually have a bar of its own, but instead offers three seating booths in a terracotta tile floored space with hard benches and low stool seating. The room has been done out in a vague stable style, with lots of horse-riding items dotted around and horse racing photos on the walls. Crates full of books and board games stood to one side next to a rack that was being used to dry bar towels and there was a good chamber pop/indie soundtrack playing, but sadly no other customers were using the room, so I retreated to the main bar instead. A comprehensive selection of Blue Monkey beers can be found of handpull, with the options on this visit running to Infinity, Infinity +1, Guerrilla, BG Sips, Colours, Serenity and 4am. Ten real ciders were also listed on a blackboard behind the bar and I got the impression that the vast majority of customers were either of the cask or the cider. My pint of the BG Sips was in great shape, and I got chatting to some of the friendly locals who were happy for me to perch at the end of their table on a busy mid-week evening. This is possibly the pick of the Loughborough pub scene – somewhere that has a good atmosphere, plenty of well-kept beer and a friendly welcome – but it lacks that little something to nudge it into the top tier from my perspective. I think the place probably lacks a bit of character and I left feeling only partially satisfied after coming in with high expectations. It’s still a great pub though and I’m sure if I’m ever back in town, this will end up being my first port of call.

Nice feel inside though the area in front of the bar is open and presumably gets busy with people standing at busier times. Good beer

Blue Monkey place with their usual decor and feel; dark blue and grey. Fairly opened-out interior with seating based around the perimeter. Nice rear garden and a selection of papers. Macavity barman. Indie chin stroker soundtrack. Six ales over eight pumps, all BM with a Goffs guest. My BG Sips had a very slight note of diacetyl (NBSS 2). WiFi broken. One other customer and no atmosphere so I shoved off. Maybe I came at the wrong time but I didn’t get the positive vibes from the reviews below. GBG’22 listed.